Lottery Information

Grand Canyon uses a monthly lottery to ensure fair consideration of earliest requests for Backcountry Permits:

Lottery Applications: Applications are accepted over a 2-week period (see chart).

Lottery Run: The lottery is run late on the 2nd of the month. It randomly reorders all applicants, giving the top 750 (in groups of 15) a date and time (a "timeslot") to log back in and make an actual itinerary reservation if space is available. There will be 5 timeslots per day (8am, 10am, noon, 2pm, and 4pm MST) over 10 days.

Timeslot: When your timeslot comes up (or any time or day after), you can login, make 1 itinerary reservation if available, call and obtain BIC Ranger assistance, and pay.

Applicants Not in the Top 750: Except for the Jan Lottery, remaining lottery applicants can see and reserve any remaining space starting around the 20th of the month (see chart).

Open to All: After the lottery month is over, everyone can check availability and make reservations (if space is available).

How Does the Quota Work for this Permit?

Visitor Use Limits: The 1988 Backcountry Management Plan established use limits for each section ("use area") of the canyon. Use limits are described in terms of the total number of people as well as the number of small (1-6 person) and/or large (7-11 person) groups allowed in each area each night. Here are a few pertinent details:

• Stay limits - All campgrounds and campsites have a stay limit of 2 nights per trip during the popular seasons.
• Affiliated Group Rule - No more than 1 permit from the same affiliated group (club, group of friends, etc.) can be in the same use area on the same night -- breaking this rule voids all permits.
• Group Size - Limiting the size of your group to 6 or less will increase your chances of obtaining a permit as there are only a few large group sites.
• Commercial Use - In addition to following all normal backcountry permit requirements, commercial organizations must obtain a Commercial Use Authorization.

September 1, 2024 - September 30, 2024 SEPTEMBER 2024 START DATES: Lottery Applications are accepted 4-16-2024 to 5pm MST on 5-1-2024. Remaining space opens to the public at 8am on 6-1-2024.

Grand Canyon North Rim Overlooks

I am planning on visiting 5 different Grand Canyon North Rim Overlooks 2 Petroglyph/Rock Art sites in the Fall of 2024. The trip starts in Fredonia, AZ. I figure we have 2 options:

• Drive half of the trip to Nampaweap Petroglyphs, then out to Colorado City to re-fuel
• Drive the entire trip w/o re-fueling

The drive from Fredonia to SB Point, Tuckup Canyon, Nampaweap Petroglyphs, Toroweap Overlook (where we camp on 10/7/2024) is 151.5 miles. Then 42.5 miles to Colorado City, where we can re-fuel. So it's a total of 219 miles from Fredonia to Colorado City. At 20 MPH, I'll need 10.95 gallons. AT 15 MPH, I'll need 14.6 gallons. We should be able do that drive on a single tank.

The entire drive from Fredonia to all overlooks and back out to St. George is ~450 miles. At 15 MPG I'll need ~34 gallons of gas. At 10 MPG, I'll need ~51 gallons of gas. I have two 5 gallon gas cans I can carry on my hitch mount. I also can carry at least four, 2 gallon gas cans on the roof rack.

The roads along the North Rim are similiar to Forest Service roads, until you get closer to the rim. Then they can get a bit rough. I have a 25 gallon gas tank. So at 20 MPG I can drive 500 miles. At 15 MPG I can drive 375 miles. At 10 MPG I can drive 250 miles.

MPG Chart This is a chart of driving distances and MPG/MPH time and distances.

All these roads are fairly smooth dirt/gravel roads, until the last few miles where it looks like 4WD travel time.

From Colorado City to Whitmore Overlook is ~67.5 miles. From Whitmore to Kelly is 90.3 miles. From Kelly to Twin Overlook is 45.7 miles.Then out to ST. George is 89.8 miles. That's a total of 293 miles.

So is it better to drive to Colorado City to re-fuel or carry enough gas to make it through the entire 450 miles? Driving 450 at 10 MPG, I'd need 45 gallons. At 15 MPG, I'd need 45 gallons. Driving at 20 MPG I need 22.5 gallons. Driving at 15MPG, I'd only need my two 5 gallons cans, plus a full tank to do the whole trip. Driving with 10 MPG,I'd need my two 5 gallon cans, plus four 2 gallon cans to do the whole trip.

It's 9 hrs from Denver to Fredonia, AZ. I'm planning on taking off from 9/6/2024 to 9/15/2024, or a similiar block of time the following week or two.

These sections of overlooks are located on the Kanab Plateau. Driving directions start from Fredonia, AZ. Overlooks/Rock Art sites include SB Point, Tuckup Point, Shaman's Gallery, Toroweap Overlook, Nampaweap Petroglyphs, Whitmore Canyon overlook, Kelly Point, and Twin Point.

• SB Point is slightly West and further South than Kanab Point. SB Point road video
• Tuckup Point The Tuckup area is a remote, vast expanse of labyrinthine gorges, sandstone slickrock, and fascinating history
• Shaman's Gallery Shamans Gallery features extensive and life-sized rock art in Tuckup Canyon
• Toroweap Overlook The views begin at road's end, where sheer cliffs drop to the Colorado River. Toroweap Overlook road video
• Nampa Petroglyphs from archaic, ancestral Puebloan, and Paiute tribes
• Whitmore Canyon overlook sits 5,500-foot above the Colorado river. Whitmore Canyon Overlook road video

The final section of North Rim overlooks include Kelly Point, and Twin Point overlooks.

• Kelly Point extends much farther south than any other on the North Rim. Kelly Point road video
• Twin Point Beautiful views from this overlook take in the lower Grand Canyon, Surprise Canyon, Burnt Canyon, and Sanup Plateau. Twin Point road video

I would like to ride some of these roads, but that depends on a number of circumstances; i.e. if there is a 2nd driver for my truck (best scenario).

List of Maps

• Grand Canyon Parashant National Monument
• Grand Canyon Parashant
• Grand Canyon North Rim
• Tuckup Shaman's Gallery Trail
• Tuckup Trail
• Tuweep Site Bulletin
• AZ Strip East
• AZ Strip West
• North Rim Routes
• Gaia Maps North Rim

DAY 1: 9/6/2024

I want to leave early on Friday morning, say 3am-4am. It's 620 miles, 9h, 41m, from Denver to Fredonia. AZ. I want to take I70 to Hiway 24 to Hanksville, then Hiway 12 to Hiway 89 and down to Fredonia. That would put us in Fredonia early afternoon. We should have time to gas up and drive towards the first overlook, SB Point. The drive from Fredonia to SB Point is 52.3 miles, ~2h 15m.

If there isn't time to drive to check-out SB Point at sunset, we can stop on BLM land before we get into the park and find a place for dispersed camping. SB Point is only a few miles from BLM land. We can't camp at any of the overlooks, except for Toroweap.

DAY 2: 9/7/2024:

Either drive to SB Point, if we didn't make the day before, or drive to Tuckup Canyon and Shamans Gallery. It is 49.4 miles,`2H from SB Point to Tuckup Canyon/Shaman's Gallery, a large petroglyph panel. The hike to the panel drops 1800 feet into the canyon in 3.8 miles (7.7 mile round trip), then back up 1800 feet.

Here's a rough map of the area. This is a 6 page PDF file.

Gordon Map

Here are 3 links that explain this area in more detail.

• Shaman's Gallery aka Gordon's Panel Pictographs in Grand Canyon
• Shamans Gallery/Gordon's Panel
• Tuckup Trail to Shamans' Gallery

Depending on how long the hike takes to complete, we may or may not have time to get to and view the Nampaweap Petroglyphs. It's only 10 miles or so from Tuckup Canyon to BLM land where we can do dispersed camping.

DAY 3: 9/8/2024:

Drive to and check-out Nampaweap Petroglyphs and maybe Mt Trumbull or Mt. Logan wilderness areas. Then drive to and camp at Toroweap Overlook. It's 49.8 miles ~2.5h, from Tuckup to Toroweap.

DAY 4: 9/9/2024:

Drive from Toroweap Overlook to Lava Falls trailhead. Lava Falls trail 2.8 miles to the Colorado River, ~6 hrs. Drive to Whitmore Canyon Overlook, 55.1 miles, ~2.5h. Maybe check out some of the side roads or canyons on the way.

DAY 5: 9/10/2024:

Drive from Whitmore Canyon Overlook to Kelly Point Overlook, 90.3 miles, ~4h. Whitmore Canyon Overlook is on Lake Mead National Recreation Area, which does not allow dispersed camping. We would need to drive out to Grand Canyon Parashant National Monument to camp. "There are no designated campsites in Parashant National Monument. Camping on the monument requires planning, preparation and care in order to protect the visitor and the fragile desert and mountain ecosystems. Parashant National Monument Backcountry Camping

DAY 6: 9/11/2024:

Drive from Kelly Point Overlook to Twin Point Overlook, the last stop on this trip. It's ~45.7 miles, ~3 hours.

DAY 7: 9/12/2024:

Drive from Twin Point out to St. George, UT. It's ~89.8 miles, ~4.5 hours. Then back to Denver.

GPS Files for all segments:

• Fredonia to SB Point GPX file
• SB Point to Tuckup Canyon/Shamans Gallery GPX file
• Tuckup Canyon to Nampaweap Petroglyphs GPX file
• Nampaweap to Toroweap Overlook GPX file
• Toroweap to Whitmore Canyon Overlook GPX file
• Whitmore to Kelly Overlook GPX file
• Kelly to Twin Point GPX file
• Kelly Point to St. George, UT GPX file